Plants on South Bubble

One of the things I noticed during my walks (and climbs) in Acadia was the plants. Of course I noticed the plants - I'm a gardener! Often, I'd look up and realize Garden Man and Garden Punk had left me far behind because I had become engrossed in some plant by the trail. As I said in an earlier post, it delighted me to find varieties of some of the very same plants I have in my own garden or that grow nearby.

On that first hike we took in Acadia, up to the summit of South Bubble (did I mention it was strenuous?), we started off in a heavily wooded area. As we climbed, it became more rocky and open. As soon as the trail began to move into sun, I noticed the viburnums. The leaves looked just like those on the Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum I have growing in my yard, only the leaves were much smaller. The growth habit was the same, too, but the plants were just a few feet high. Since we were there in July, I didn't notice any flowers, but there were some fruits, held above the foliage just like a Doublefile Viburnum. I wish I'd taken pictures of these, but I didn't.

When there was a little more sun, I noticed these low-growing plants with tiny dark pink buds and pink flowers. When I bent down to take a closer look, I was delighted to find miniature Mountain Laurel flowers. Turns out, this lovely little plant is Sheep Laurel, Kalmia angustifolia. The little leaves are about two inches long and the flowers are barely a half inch across. These bear a few of the marks of a very wet spring and summer on their leaves, but they were blooming their hearts out.

As we got closer to the summit and there was more and more sun, we began seeing Vaccinium angustifolium, lowbush blueberries, with berries in various stage of ripeness. It was amazing to me these hardy little plants could flourish and bear fruit on what little soil was contained in the crevices between the rocks. It looked as if they were growing on almost bare rock. The leaves of these blueberries bear heavy marking from the wet weather, but the plants seemed to be thriving in their harsh conditions.

Although Acadia is located in Zone 5 and I'm located in Zone 7, we share many of the same plants, and that delights me. Do you have varieties of viburnum, kalmia or vaccinium in your garden?

Comments

[Raji]

Kim, Sheep Laurel looks beautiful. I like mountain laurel and have been thinking of planting one. But I heard it does not grow in our zone(5).and thank you for visiting me...Do you know more about growing it in zone 5?

[Term Paper]

This lovely little plant is Sheep Laurel, Kalmia angustifolia. The little leaves are about two inches long and the flowers are barely a half inch across. These bear a few of the marks of a very wet spring and summer on their leaves, but they were blooming their hearts out.Wow Its very interesting lovely little plant of Sheep Laurel.